The Need for Child Care

The attitudes taken towards child care have reflected the orientation of differing societies. In Australia it has been traditionally held that the young child is best cared for by his mother. Recent social changes including the large scale employment of mothers of young children have forced a re‐assessment of attitudes, and led to the establishment of the Interim Committee of the Children's Commission in 1974. To establish the child care needs, attitudes and preferences of different populations of mothers a series of surveys was conducted in Sydney during 1973–1974, the first of which, conducted in Lane Cove, is reported here.